Friday, July 28, 2017

Green professionals push the building envelope

Green building on campus has become the standard at Western. With the guidelines developed by the Canadian Green Building Council's (CaGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification process, many of our new facilities and larger renovations meet strict benchmarks.

Green building has changed the way we design and construct. In staying ahead of the curve, Western has begun to develop its own set of sustainable design guidelines focusing on life cycle analysis, impact assessments, and enhanced energy and water strategies that will influence all large-scale projects moving forward.

To support the continued focus on green infrastructure, three Facilities Management employees have completed LEED specific certification. The added knowledge and expertise puts green building front and centre from the start of each project right to the end.

Mike McLean, Director, Facilities Planning and Design, has completed the LEED Accredited Professional (AP) course, arming him with advanced knowledge in green building as well as expertise in LEED rating systems.

Mary Quintana, Energy & Environment Specialist and David Cano, Manager, Sustainability, have both received LEED Green Associate credentials through CaGBC. They are knowledgeable of the current certification guidelines and trends in green building.

The expertise has begun to translate into positive gains. For example, our team is currently providing their input on enhanced waste management and transportation challenges (such as charging stations) for the new Western Interdisciplinary Research Building and Engineering's Three C+.

Green building continues to be the standard for construction on Campus. With three FM professionals adding LEED credentials to their growing quiver of expertise, Western further advances the vision of a more efficient and sustainable built environment.